


Enduring and Timeless

by estriel



Series: Quarantink 2020 [39]
Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: Boys In Love, Dorks in Love, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Plants, Quarantink Challenge, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-04-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 18:38:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23809663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/estriel/pseuds/estriel
Summary: “It’s a succulent,” Yuzu says, carefully curling his tongue around the word the lady at the plant shop had thrown around while wrapping the plant in protective foil. He doesn’t tell Javi what else the lady at the plant shop told him about the plant because that would be, well, probably a bit too much…
Relationships: Javier Fernández/Yuzuru Hanyu
Series: Quarantink 2020 [39]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1665598
Comments: 8
Kudos: 60





	Enduring and Timeless

**Author's Note:**

> Quarantink prompt for today was _succulent_ and I was going to use it as an adjective (and an excuse to write something sexy) but then this happened. So enjoy some plant love. <3

“Thank you, it’s…,” Javi says, turning the white ceramic pot this way and that, smiling at it.

“It’s a succulent,” Yuzu says, carefully curling his tongue around the word the lady at the plant shop had thrown around while wrapping the plant in protective foil.

“It’s so small and cute,” Javi goes on, and brushes one of the leaves lightly with his finger. “It will look nice on my window shelf.”

Yuzu nods, satisfied that Javi seems to have taken a liking to the little plant. He doesn’t tell Javi what else the lady at the plant shop told him about the plant because that would be, well, probably a bit too much… Javi has just come back, after all, and Yuzu is not quite sure where they stand. They may have spent a couple of months calling each other daily, and some of those calls were… well, they felt _different_ to Yuzu, at least. But he doesn’t want to jump to conclusions, and so he just reaches out, touching Javi’s arm lightly. When Javi looks up from the plant, he returns his warm smile.

“I know you couldn’t bring Effie now, so I give you plant to care for. I know you like caring for things,” Yuzu explains, and Javi’s eyes soften further… but then his expression falls.

“I am not very good with plants,” he sighs. “Remember the tomatoes?” he asks, frowning at the succulent.

Yuzu remembers the tomatoes, the ones that Javi spent the quarantine growing inside his living room. Or rather, the tiny little plants that had never borne any tomatoes, withering instead at barely ten centimeters of height. He grins. “I know. That is why I picked succulent. It is easy to care for. Hard to kill.”

Javi looks at him dubiously, then back at the potted succulent. Then he nods. “Alright, then. I’ll try my best not to murder it.”

“I’ll come check,” Yuzu threatens, and Javi smiles, and pulls him into a one-armed hug.

“You should,” he says, and his breath is warm against Yuzu’s neck. Yuzu shivers, smiling. It’s good to have Javi back.

*

It’s one of those days. Yuzu falls, and falls. When he falls on a flying camel, he just lies down on the ice, face down, and doesn’t want to get up. It’s pre-Olympic season, the pressure is on, and he feels old and unprepared. He feels like he hasn’t had enough training by far, even though he’s done this before, been months off ice only to come back and win the Olympics.

This time, somehow, it feels different. Harder. At least some days it does. Some days, when the quad axel takes shape and the ice carries him without seemingly any effort on his part, he feels strong. Today he doesn’t. Today, he wants to cry. 

“Hey,” Javi says, and Yuzu can feel how warm his hand even through both his layers of Under Armor when it lands on his shoulder. “Come on, let’s get you out of here.”

Yuzu summons the strength to push himself up onto his knees, then lets Javi help him stand. “I’m not done,” he says stubbornly.

“Yes, you are,” Javi tells him, and holds on to his elbow. “You know it better than I do.”

Yuzu sighs. It’s true. He can tell that there’s no point in continuing today. Better to leave, clear his head, and come back fresh tomorrow. Still… “But Brian – “

Javi lifts an eyebrow, nodding towards the other end of the ice. Brian is standing there, making shooing motions at Yuzu. “It’s okay,” he calls out. “You good, Yuzu?”

Yuzu nods, even though he wouldn’t exactly describe his current state as _good_. But he’s uninjured and most likely just in a funk that will pass as quickly as it came. It will have to do.

Javi walks him off the ice, then sits down with him in the locker. “What?” he asks when Yuzu bends over to unlace his boots with a sigh.

“I just –,” Yuzu begins. “Weird mood,” he admits.

Javi hums, and Yuzu realizes that Javi knows – he is familiar with Yuzu’s moods, and besides, he used to have days like this, too, after all.

“Do you want to come have tea?” Javi asks, and Yuzu looks up at him, surprised.

“I – I can’t go out,” he says, and is taken aback by how disappointed he feels. Declining invitations is his modus operandi, it has to be, and he’s used to it… But this is Javi. And that makes all the difference.

Javi shakes his head. “I know,” he says, momentarily solemn. He knows about the stalkers, of course. He used to ride the bus home with Yuzu, after all, just to make sure Yuzu got home safe when they were younger. Then Javi’s face brightens again. “I meant come to my place.”

When Yuzu lifts an eyebrow, Javi laughs and quickly raises his hands in defense: “I have tea, okay? The _good _kind. With the, the little dippy thing?” he mimes an infuser. He looks so happy about it that Yuzu doesn’t have the heart to tell him that that’s not really how you make _good_ tea.

Instead, he nods, and manages a small smile. “I’ll come see dippy thing. Let me call my mom.”

*

“You want to take a shower?” Javi offers when they make it to his place. “I know you don’t shower at the club – I can lend you something to wear,” he says, nodding towards Yuzu’s practice gear, which admittedly isn’t ideal to spend this extra time in.

Yuzu nods gratefully, and lets Javi point him to the bathroom. “Thanks,” he says when Javi shows him where to find the towels.

He feels better when he emerges from the bathroom, smelling like Javi’s shower gel, feeling a little ridiculous in the T-shirt that’s approximately two sizes too big on him.

“Make yourself at home, I’ll be right there,” Javi calls from the kitchen, and Yuzu drops down on the couch, grateful that he can be here, not at home where all he’d do would be plan and think about how he can improve. Here, on Javi’s squishy sofa, he can just... close his eyes and rest.

Yuzu isn’t aware of when he fell asleep, but when he opens his eyes, there is a light blanket covering him and Javi is sitting beside him, wearing a soft smile.

“How long did I sleep?” Yuzu asks, throat raspy.

“Here,” Javi says, and hands him a cup of what turns out to be surprisingly decent green tea. Yuzu takes a few sips, instantly soothed by the familiar flavor.

“Only fifteen minutes or so?” Javi then tells him, glancing at his watch. “I was going to wake you up after twenty, so you don’t end up not sleeping at night,” he adds and Yuzu smiles up at him, touched by the fact that Javi remembers that one call where Yuzu mentioned the occasional insomnia, and how he needs to be careful with his naps.

“Thank you,” he says, and props himself up until he’s sitting properly. Then his eyes fall on something. “The plant!” he yelps, and shoots Javi a shocked look. 

“I know, I know,” Javi says, and claps his palms to his face in mock despair. “I tried, Yuzu, I really did, I tried everything but it just… I’m not good at taking care of plants, I told you. Not even succulents.”

Yuzu shakes his head, secretly amused. The plant sits all sad in its pot, wilting, pitiful.

“I’m sorry,” Javi says, and touches Yuzu’s knee.

Yuzu turns back to him, to the apologetic frown that makes Javi’s nose scrunch up a little. It makes Yuzu’s heart turn to mush, even more so than it usually does around Javi.

“Javi, it’s alright,” he says, smiles, and covers Javi’s hand with his own, squeezing a little. “Is just a plant. You’re amazing, you know? You’re so good at taking care of _people_,” he tells Javi, and looks down, feeling the blush creep up his face, quite unbidden. He wishes he could just…

“Yuzu,” Javi says, and Yuzu starts when Javi’s fingers brush his jaw. “You know I looked up what succulents mean, right?”

Yuzu bites his lip, heart skipping inside his chest. “Did you?” he mumbles.

“Yes,” Javi says, and tips Yuzu’s chin up so they are looking at each other. There seems to be no weirdness in Javi’s expression, just warmth, and Yuzu gathers his courage.

“I was going to buy cactus but the lady at the shop asked who is for,” he says. “Said succulent is much better.”

“What did you tell her, who it’s for?” Javi inquires, and Yuzu can see the sparkles in his eyes, lets them warm him from within. Javi clearly knows. He _knows _and doesn’t seem to mind one bit. It makes Yuzu feel like he’s floating, like he’s invincible, like he’s just won the best victory of his life.

He smiles, inhales, and, looking Javi straight in the eye, says: “Someone I love since forever.”

And then he kisses Javi, because even if he hadn’t been completely sure where they stand, he is now – there had been no surprise in Javi’s face, no hesitation, when Yuzu dropped the confession on him.

There is no hesitation now, just Javi’s palm on his nape, familiar and right, and Javi’s mouth slotting against his quite perfectly, with that slight taste of coffee Yuzu always imagined in his daydreams.

It seems to last forever, lips brushing lips, followed by the intoxicating slide of tongue against tongue… and yet it’s over too soon when they pull apart to breathe. Javi presses their foreheads together, a quiet laugh escaping his mouth.

“I’ve been in love with you forever, too,” he tells Yuzu, and reaches for his hand, so he can press it against his chest, over his heart. “Let’s hope we do better than the poor plant,” he adds, and Yuzu can’t help but laugh because how could they not. How could they not, when this is what they’ve been waiting for, watering this love for years, waiting for it to finally bloom.

“We will,” he says with absolute certainty, and kisses Javi again.

**Author's Note:**

> Succulents apparently symbolize enduring and timeless love, tenacious little plants that they are. Immortal, forever love that does not waver over time. I had not known this when I came up with the initial idea for this story, but then looked up the plant meaning before I started writing and just _had to_ incorporate it. <3


End file.
